Automated transaction machines such as automated banking machines are well known. A common type of automated banking machine used by consumers is an automated teller machine (“ATM”). ATMs enable customers to carry out banking transactions. Common banking transactions that may be carried out with ATMs include the dispensing of cash, the receipt of deposits, the transfer of funds between accounts, the payment of bills and account balance inquiries. The type of banking transactions a customer can carry out are determined by capabilities of the particular banking machine and the programming of the institution operating the machine. Other types of automated banking machines may allow customers to charge against accounts, to pay bills, to transfer funds or to cash checks. Other types of automated banking machines may print or dispense items of value such as coupons, tickets, wagering slips, vouchers, checks, food stamps, money orders, scrip or travelers checks. For purposes of this disclosure references to an ATM, an automated banking machine or automated transaction machine shall encompass any device which carries out transactions including transfers of value.
ATMs are generally equipped with one or more printers such as a receipt printer, journal printer, depositor printer, and statement printer. For receipts, software operating in the ATM is operative to cause a receipt printer to output a document that includes information about the transactions performed with the ATM. For example, after a withdrawal of cash many ATMs are operative to print a receipt that shows the amount of cash withdrawn from an account. Such a receipt may further include the date of the transaction, the account number associated with withdrawal of cash, the remaining balance in the account or any other information available to the ATM which may be useful to a consumer. Other types of printers in an ATM may print similar transaction information. For example, a depository printer may be operative to print an account number on a deposit envelope. Journal printers may be operative to print an ongoing log of transactions. Statement printers may be operative to print a listing of transactions conducted on one or more accounts of a user. In addition to printers, an ATM display screen may be operative to output details of the transactions.
Printer devices in ATMs and printer paper for the printer devices are also available in many different sizes and configurations. For example, some receipt printers may only print a maximum of 25 characters on each line while other receipt printers may print 40 characters on each line. Some types of receipt paper stock have pre-printed logos or other information, while other receipt paper stock is blank. Some types of receipt printers are designed to print on individual pre-cut sheets of paper, while other receipt printers are designed to print on a continuous roll of paper. Some printers are capable of printing multiple colors, while other printers are operative to print only in one color such as black. Further, some printers are operative to print image bitmaps, while other printers may only print characters from a fixed character set.
Because an ATM may be configured to use a plurality of different types, sizes and configurations of printers, it may be useful for ATM applications to be operative to print a plurality of differently formatted documents responsive to the type, size and configuration of the printer. For example, it may be useful for ATM applications to include specific software components for each different type of printer that may be installed in the ATM. Such components may be specifically “hard coded” to cause a printer to print a document which is compatible with the printer. However using such an approach, if it ever becomes desirable to change features that are printed on the document, the individual software components responsible for printing to each of the different printers must be rewritten. Writing new programs to print new versions of receipts or other documents is time consuming and often can only be done by a user who is both skilled in the art of programming and has a detailed knowledge of the targeted printers and the ATM application.
Consequently, there exists a need for an improved system for printing to different types, sizes and configurations of printer devices in an ATM which enables an operator to customize the formats of the documents more easily. There exists a need for a system of printing to different types, sizes and configurations of printer devices in an ATM which enables an operator to customize the formats of the documents without writing new software components for each different type of printer device. There further exists a need for a system for generating new types of ATM receipts which does not require procedural programming language skills and detailed knowledge of ATM software and hardware systems.